Three: Showdown In Metro City, Part One
Metro City - Sometime later...
Once known as the "crime capital" of the United States and dominated by the Mad Gear back in the day, Metro City was enjoying its Renaissance as a tourist hotspot, following the purge of the Mad Gear and later, the Skull Cross Gang as a threat to the people.
The anti-gang policies introduced by former pro wrestler and mayor, Mike Haggar, were continued by his successor, Cody Travers. Metro City was also known to be a popular haven for the supernatural, a place where one can kick back and hang their hat.
Of course, it also helped that Mayor Travers – a Celtic-born Immortal, his father being Borrun, the god of the winds – also maintained ties to the Bushinryuu Clan. He was also a bigger hedonist than Ryu, of which was confirmed by Ryu himself. Like Ryu, Mayor Travers had two vampiresses as lovers; Poison Kiss, the reformed Mad Gear member – and contrary to the rumors of her being a transvestite, an actual woman – now working as his executive assistant, and Lucia Morgan, a decorated member of the Metro City Police Department's Special Crimes Unit.
This was confirmed by Ryu and Chun-Li, who had once walked in on Cody and Poison, the Celtic-born Immortal having the pink-haired vampiress bent over the mayor's desk, blouse ripped open, showing off her buxom chest, skirt hiked, showing off her perfectly shaped bottomless ass (Poison hated wearing panties), Cody fucking her from behind.
Of course, for those who disliked Metro City, Southtown was a nice alternative, some thirteen hundred miles to the south of Metro City. Southtown was also enjoying its own proverbial Renaissance, following the demise of reputed crime boss Geese Howard, who ruled the city with an iron fist for many years.
In certain circles - both human and Vampire – the tall, muscle-bound Lycan with blonde hair that seem to defy gravity knew that the bearded Japanese Immortal walking alongside both him and his brother-in-law - also an Immortal and cousin to said bearded Japanese Immortal - was the envy of most men, and in some cases, women.
The cause of the envy just so happened to be the wives of the Japanese Immortal, who were walking before them, locked in their own conversation while the men trailed behind.
As a Lycan, hardly nothing surprised William F. Guile. In all honesty, Guile had expected something like this out of Ken, given his playboy ways. The main reason why Guile condoned Ken was that Ken himself was a former soldier, having served in the French Foreign Legion alongside Cody Travers – who had enlisted out of sheer boredom – and Guile – who was on his second stint as an officer of the Legion – when he first met both men.
But not from Ryu Houshi. His cousin-in-law.
The Japanese Immortal was married, sure, but to two women, both Vampires. Chun-Li Xiang was the Living Vampire, born into an ancient, Imperial House descended from the First Emperor of China, while Mai Shiranui was an undead Pureblood from a ninja clan, once a minor clan among the powerhouses of the Hayabusa, Mugen Tenshin and the Bushinryuu, but over the years, grew to be a wild card among the ninja clans, as it gained power and influence.
Guile wasn't stupid. He could see why both Vega and Andy Bogard desired both vampiresses, and Juri Han had an obsession with Ryu himself. As a Lycan, he took his time to study both his allies and his quarry. He did the same with his brother-in-law. And Ryu Houshi was no different.
Ryu had been a widower for over a century when he met Chun-Li, his first family having been murdered, Ryu himself slain. But Immortals were very hard to kill, only being able to die if their respective Pantheon decide to strip them of their immortality.
For Chun-Li, she had married him out of duty to her House, due to a series of unfortunate events that left her at death's door following an ambush by Jiangshi wielding silver-tipped crossbows. By consuming Ryu's blood, he not only saved her life, but also acquired Chun as a wife, per the traditional of her House, as she consumed the blood of a man.
For Mai, her and Ryu's relationship was built purely on lust, due to their shared hedonistic past as lovers. Mai, however was attracted to women, with Ryu being the only exception to the rule. It had been her sexual attraction to Chun-Li that ultimately led to Ryu taking on Mai as a second wife. According to Ken, Japanese-born Immortals can take on as many mistresses as they liked. That led to many unexpected problems, mainly for the Gods' personal amusement.
But when it comes to spouses, the kami allowed only a maximum amount of two at the same time.
It was out of these shaky beginnings, that trust began to form. A bond was formed through shared interests, learning about the other's culture and traditions. To better understand each other, they trained together, incorporating some moves into their martial arts, while learning new styles. That bond eventually formed into love between the Japanese Immortal and his two vampire wives. Guile also saw that Ryu did not favor one wife over another, as he treated both women equally, something that Guile approved of.
The only time Mai stood against him was during the annual King of Fighters tournaments, when she would team up with King and Yuri, while Ryu teamed up with Ken and Chun-Li.
Guile himself fought in the KOF tournaments, teaming up with Cammy and Decapre as part of Team Special Forces, acting as backup for Heidern's team, working together to take Rugal down.
It sounded an awful lot like those cheesy romance novels that Julia not only liked to write; the ones with a blond, barechested Adonis (obviously inspired by him) with a heaving wench with big tits clutching at his leg. Aside from being a witch, Julia was a writer. Over the centuries, she had made writing into a very lucrative career. Romance, true crime, history. While not a fan of the sleazy romance novels Julia wrote (they were very popular with the witches), Guile liked the true crime novels that Julia wrote.
Guile suspected that Julia was going to use this little meet-up to pick Chun-Li and Mai's brains for her latest novel.
Mai Shiranui was the seductress, and it showed in both her personality and clothing. Rather than her signature black-and-red uwagi, the Japanese vampiress was clad in a black-and-red corset top that made her already large chest look even bigger, tight black pants, and black boots (think Ayane's costume from Fatal Frame 5). Her reddish-brown hair was pulled back into her usual ponytail. The black choker - a sign showing that she was a married woman - was around her pale neck.
As the corset exposed a good portion of her back, Guile noted the tattoo of a coiled dragon that covered her backside, with several small butterflies. According to both Ryu and Ken, the tattoo was enchanted, having been bestowed upon Mai by Amaterasu herself. As Mai had the patronage of the Sun Goddess, it allowed her not only being able to walk in the sun without turning to ash, but it also provided immunity against silver and holy relics.
Mai was a woman of many talents, as Guile found out. Despite her own hedonistic past, Mai had a friendly, bubbly personality, and was madly in love with her spouses. But, underneath said bubbly and friendly personality was a sadist, just waiting to come out in the event either her or her family were threatened. Over the centuries, that side of Mai came out, much to the detriment of the vampire hunters that would come calling.
At the moment, Mai was currently locked arm-in-arm with her co-wife, chatting with Eliza and Julia.
Chun-Li Xiang was the flirt. Regal, yet compassionate, if her adopting Li-Fen was anything to go by. Like Mai, Chun-Li was dressed down in a red-and-white sleeveless cheongsam-style shirt, denim pants and tennis shoes. Her hair was done in her signature ox-horn hairdo, secured with ribbons. As a Living Vampire, her skin was not as pale as Mai's but it was pale nonetheless.
Like Mai, her body was adorned with tattoos. However, the tattoos were that of the Phoenix, of which were the sacred animal of the House of Xiang. One such tattoo spanned her own back, while a second was on her left flank. She was the temperamental one, the conservative of the two wives, and more savvy than Mai when it came to Vampire politics, while Mai was more versed in Ninja politics.
Between the two wives, Guile found more common ground with Chun-Li, due to their shared hatred of Bison for killing those close to them; Charlie for Guile and Dorai for Chun-Li. Guile also found common ground with Ryu, as he himself walked the path of vengeance when his first family was murdered.
"I know what it's like to lose someone, William. I know how the fires of vengeance burn within you. I, too, felt its warmth. Take it from someone who has walked down that road. Don't let it become an obsession, lest you lose the thing you hold dear."
And both he and Chun-Li took sadistic delight in ripping Bison apart, having separated him from his Psycho Drive, following the conclusion of the Second World Warrior Tournament.
As for Li-Fen, the teenage dhampyr walked in front of the four women, flanked by Mel and Chris, happily munching on a shaobing with extra meat, purchased from Bao Bao. While Li-Fen saw Chun-Li as the jiejie – big sister – Ryu and Mai were the senpais to Li-Fen's kohai. Li-Fen was the product of Malay Chinese parents, the father a Vampire exiled from his Malay Vampire House, while her mother was a human. When she was seven, a pair of vampire hunters paid Li-Fen's parents a deadly housecall, with Li-Fen being the only survivor, having narrowly escaped with her life. Li-Fen was found by Chun-Li, who took her in.
That was eight years ago.
Ryu was the one who had broken Li-Fen out of her shell. As it turned out, shaobing with extra meat was Li-Fen's weakness. Ryu had picked some up for the evening meal one night.
Then, shortly after Umbrella's fall, the vampire hunters that murdered Li-Fen's parents had tracked Li-Fen down.
It had been three years, but Li-Fen recognized her parents' killers, even disguised as police officers. The Triumvirate also saw through the ruse. These vampire hunters were freelancers, professional mercenaries who hunted down and killed any vampire they came across. Some were in it for the glory, while others held a grudge, as it had been a Vampire that killed a loved one or a friend.
Chun-Li and Mai were also high-value targets of the hunters, and the hunters knew them of their reputation. Only difference was that Mai and Chun-Li had no compunctions in defending themselves, and when negotiations failed – Ryu giving the hunters a chance to walk away and live – the hunters were brought down by Ryu's quick-draw technique.
Their bodies would be found inside the remains of a burned-out house, the cause of death being smoke inhalation, their bodies burned beyond recognition.
And finally, there was the man himself.
Ryu carried himself like a samurai, moving with grace that hid a lot of power. Normally, the Japanese Immortal would be in his tattered karate dogi and hachimaki. Instead, he was dressed casual in a black Henley shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, khaki pants, and black work boots. Black fingerless gloves were on his hands. Guile suspected that they were there to hide the bite marks on his palms and wrists.
Bite marks on the hands were easy to cover up. Bite marks on the neck raises too many questions, and attract the wrong kind of people. The kind of people who carry around silver-tipped weapons, holy relics and wooden stakes.
Guile also stepped into the ring with Ryu on many an occasion. Ryu was methodical in combat, patient, not making the same mistake twice. Outside the ring, Guile saw that Ryu was shrewd and cunning, traits needed to run a massive information and spy network alongside his wives, one that was on par with that of the Valentin Coven's network.
Even Bison was fooled by Ryu's well-crafted deception.
After spending thirty years floating between Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, the Triumvirate decided to return to Japan, settling in Ryu's ancestral home of Kuwata. When Li-Fen turned fifteen, Ryu opted to treat her and his wives on a three-week holiday.
First, they spent a week in London, where they were hosted by Cammy White. A Lesser Vampire, Cammy worked for MI-6's Delta Red, monitoring the supernatural entities that made Britain, Ireland and Scotland their home. It was also in London that Ryu and Mai visited the B.S.A.A.'s London office to hand over the information regarding Ozwell Spencer's location.
Guile's chest swelled with pride with the fact that while Chris and Jill were unable to kill Spencer, they were able to kill not only Albert Wesker, but Excella Gionne.
Tricell's reputation had taken a serious hit once it was discovered that missing Anglo-Italian woman was not only in cahoots with a known bioterrorist, but was also actively funding global bioterrorism. Despite Tricell denouncing Excella for her actions, it was all but inevitable for Tricell to eventually go the way of Umbrella.
Not to say that Alex Wesker had managed to get away unscathed. She was found dead a week later, her throat ripped out, her research destroyed. The people of Sein Island were able to breathe a sigh of relief at their cruel overlord's demise.
After London, Ryu and his family spent the next week in Southtown. Mai had friends in Southtown, primarily Yuri Sakazaki and King. As with Mai, her teammates were anything but human. King was a dhampyr, her father being a French-born aristocrat, and her mother, a French human mistress. King spent her early childhood in Belgium, her father having narrowly survived Robespierre's Reign of Terror, whereas her mother was not as lucky. The Sakazaki family were 'scholars of martial arts and magic,' Yuri being a prodigious talent in the mystic arts.
Aside from reconnecting with old friends, Mai also checked on her business interests. Turns out, Mai was the financial backer to the Illusion Bar and the popular Pao Pao Cafe. Following the second week in Southtown, it was off to Metro City. The first day, the Triumvirate were in a meeting with Mayor Travers, Poison and Lucia, which was followed by taking in an exhibition sumo match later on that night. Edmond Honda was Ryu's best friend, and also a fellow Immortal, being the son of Sujin, the kami of water.
The next couple of days, Chun-Li spent in Chinatown, training the locals in Kung Fu, aided by Ryu. Mai ended up being hit on by the local neighborhood protector – and Vampire – Jamie Siu. Mai would find out that the drunken fighter was a former student of the Lee brothers, Yun and Yang – both Purebloods, and members of House Lee, a vassal house to House Xiang – who in turn, were once students under Chun-Li.
Instead of addressing Chun-Li as 'Sifu' or 'Lady Xiang,' as befitting her position as their superior, Yun and Yang addressed Chun-Li as 'Auntie Li.' As Chun-Li had trained them both when she returned to China with Ryu and Mai in tow, she didn't find it the least bit insulting. Yun and Yang called her that in a show of respect, and still do to this very day. The last she heard of the Twin Dragons, they were still running the Genhanten in Hong Kong – of which she funded.
Jamie knew that Chun-Li was married to Ryu, yet he didn't know that Mai was his second wife. Once Jamie found out that Mai was also married to Ryu, he wisely backed down.
Then, on the fourth day, Ken and his family came to town.
Ken Masters had stumbled onto Ryu and his family whilst they were at Bayside Park, Ryu locked in a 2-vs-1 sparring match against his wives, while Li-Fen cheered from the sidelines for her jiejie to win. The ensuing brawl attracted the attention of William Guile and his family, Guile taking a much-needed vacation from the Air Force to spend time with his own family.
The last time Ryu had seen them was back in Nayshall some months back. So a family night was planned. Dinner at Bao Bao, as Chun-Li owned the restaurant. There, Guile, Ryu and Ken entertained their wives and children with stories of their past exploits and antics. Even Guile had a smirk on his face as he remembered his and Ken's time in the French Foreign Legion.
"I've been meaning to ask about Nayshall," Ryu said. "Now that JP is dead and his organization destroyed, how is the country coming along?"
"Development's been moving along at a rapid pace," Ken replied. The blond Immortal wore semi-casual attire; a clean white dress shirt, slacks and Italian-made dress shoes. Ken preferred waking barefoot, but Liza was adamant about the shoes. "Clean-up operations in Old Nayshall have been completed. Good thing you financed water purification and clean energy research,"
Ryu nodded. "That river was filthy, and a health hazard."
"Your investments in those fields have most certainly paid off. The Nayshalli's quality of life has greatly improved."
Guile said nothing. He simply listened. One could learn a lot from good intel. And as much as his brother-in-law pissed him off, what JP had planned for him was outright diabolical. Ken's vengeance was well-deserved. The Air Force King was also dressed down in a white dress shirt, denim pants and work boots. The shirt was partially concealed by his vest, and his normally upright hair was pulled back into a short ponytail.
"I got it on good authority that certain circles want in on Nayshall," Ryu said. "I think it's the way how you handled JP that has sparked interest. Either way, he had it coming."
Ken knew what that meant. "Aren't there a couple of covens and clans in Nayshall?" he asked.
"Tribes, actually. Smaller in number, not really qualifying as either clan or coven," Ryu corrected. "And a small tribe of warlocks and witches. Kalima runs the largest Vampire tribe, while Bosch leads the Lycans. They're interested in seeing Nayshall's development. Kalima and Chun go way back, and both Rudra and Chandi were once Dhalsim's students. Thanks to Chun, several interested parties are starting to see Nayshall's potential."
Nayshall. A small, developing nation tucked away in the corner of Asia, about the size of Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont combined. So obscure, that the British didn't bother to annex it in their empire. Communist China also did not give the country a glance, as they thought there was nothing of interest in the region, effectively leaving it alone.
Then, rich deposits of natural gas and minerals were found in the region two years ago.
As Chun-Li had connections within the Chinese Communist Party – as some of its members were Purebloods, assigned to keep the CCP's attention diverted away from the Vampire Houses – she, Ryu and Mai had a laugh at the CCP's expense once they found out about the abundance of natural resources that Nayshall had. According to Chun-Li, the Chinese government were kicking themselves for not pressing the Nayshall matter further. Given the presence of foreign investors in the country, attempting to 'annex' the small country would prove to be unwise on China's part.
The British, according to Cammy, took the news much better. As both Cammy and Decapre both lived through the days of the East India Trading Company and in the later years of the British Empire, both vampires were on speaking terms with some of the British Vampires who made their fortune within the trading company. While the news was taken with the stiffest of British upper lips, the old guard were in actuality, furious at overlooking Nayshall's potential.
Almost overnight, Nayshall became incredibly wealthy, with the Masters Foundation – and the Triumvirate – spearheading its development, and reaping the rewards, as Ryu and his wives were long since privy to Nayshall, as they passed through the region many times in the past.
Guile caught a name that Ryu shot off. Dhalsim, the Indian guru and master of Yoga. Like Ryu and Ken, Dhalsim was an Immortal, the son of Agni, the Hindu God of Fire. Like Ryu, he had been a notorious hedonist, living only for pleasure, until he lost his mortal family to the plague. While Ryu spent time as a monk in Thailand following the loss of his first family, Dhalsim was attracted to an esoteric form of Yoga by a wandering guru. His son, Datta and Chris were penpals, something that both Guile and Julia encouraged.
Dhalsim was credited with getting Mai into Yoga. Not the esoteric version that he practiced, but the more traditional version of Yoga.
"What parties?" Guile asked, finally breaking his silence.
"Sakura and Karin, for starters," Ryu replied.
Sakura Kasugano. Ryu's former apprentice and a Lesser Vampire. Born during Japan's feudal age to a samurai and his Okinawan wife, she was also a victim of Vega during his rampage throughout Japan, Vega having ambushed and sired her, setting her loose upon her family for his own amusement. Sakura ended up killing her parents and brother in a vampiric bloodlust, while Vega made his escape. Ryu – having just married both Chun-Li and Mai – took pity on her and with permission from his father and wives, took her on as his apprentice.
Sakura turned out to be a prodigy in martial arts, having learned both Ansatsuken and Shotokan Karate from Ryu. Chun-Li and Mai provided support and additional training, teaching Sakura to control her bloodlust and feed on those with evil in their hearts, as their blood was more filling. Sakura may had lost her first family, but she gained a second one in Ryu and his wives.
To this very day, she still maintained a close relationship with the trio. For Sakura, Ryu would always be her senpai.
Sakura was also in a committed relationship with Karin Kanzuki, a Pureblood. Karin ran the Kanzuki Zaibatsu, one of the largest conglomerates in Japan. Only the Masters Foundation was larger. Despite being under the patronage of Ken's father, the couple preferred the night, only going out in the day for business meetings for Sakura shallenging Ryu to a sparring match. The Kanzuki Zaibatsu was a business rival to the Masters Foundation, Karin herself a martial artist. Which meant that Ken wasn't at all surprised to hear that Sakura and Karin were interested in investing in Nayshall.
"I'm not surprised," Ken said. "On the other hand, Karin's on the level. She's always been honest with me and does right by the Foundation. I'll set up a sit-down later on in the week, and see what she has to offer. You always try to see the good in people, Ryu."
"It's one of the reasons why I still deal with you, cousin," Ryu replied, a smirk on his bearded face.
At that, Guile chuckled, while Ken gave Ryu the stink eye.
"Most people, anyway," Ryu said, shrugging his shoulders. "Anyway, Sakura and Karin aren't the only ones interested. I spoke with Hayabusa and Hayate. Expect a call from Chairwoman Douglas in the future."
Another name that Guile recognized. Helena Douglas. DOATEC Chairwoman, illegitimate daughter of Fame Douglas. Both Helena and her mother was from a tribe of Sirens, creatures known for their enchanting voices, often leading unsuspecting mortals to their doom. But Helena did not use her powers to further her career as an opera singer. She was just that talented, both as a singer and in martial arts.
Like Ken, she faced a crisis when a rogue faction of her company tried to overthrow her in a coup. Fortunately for Helena, she had the Hayabusa and Mugen Tenshin clans on speed-dial to help fight off the threat.
Guile and Helena had one thing in common. Both were French in origin, Guile originally from Montaillou, home to a small tribe of Lycans, while Helena was born and raised in Toulon. Unfortunately for Guile, he grew up around the time in which the Catholic Church began to crack down on the townspeople for their support of the Cathars. During the French Inquisition, his tribe was exterminated by the Catholic Darkhunters – hunters trained and sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church – with Guile as the only survivor.
It also explains Guile's rabid hatred of the Catholic Church, and of Vega in general. Vega de la Cerna was born mortal, but given that he was a bastard born out of wedlock, he was given to the Catholic Church. Vega had been active during the Spanish Inquisition as a Jesuit Inquisitor who burned many innocent people at the stake, one of them being the human lover to a Vampire.
Out of vengeance, the Vampire had sired Vega, but it backfired spectacularly, as Vega fully embraced his dark nature, and left a reign of terror that drew Bison's attention. Thankfully, Vega didn't last very long following Bison's death. Ryu made sure of that.
Perhaps threatening to rape both Mai and Chun-Li during their final battle was a bad idea.
."There's more," Ryu continued. "Aside from Sakura and Helena, two of the Vampire Houses in Kuala Lumpur and one of the Lycan Clans in Jakarta also see the potential in Nayshall as not only a vacation spot, one on par with Metro City and Southtown, but also a safe haven from the various hunters."
Guile could understand that. Aside from the Catholic-backed Darkhunters he had to deal with, both his wife and sister-in-law narrowly avoided being burned at the stake in the past. Chun-Li and Mai also dealt with the various vampire hunters. Ryu himself was dragged into the crossfire, solely because he was married to both Chun-Li and Mai. Not even Ken was exempt, as he too was persecuted just because his wife was a witch. A hot, sexy witch, but a witch nonetheless.
"It can also be a place to host tournaments," Ryu went on. "Master Sagat and I both fought in the Suval'hal Tournaments in the past. It is quite the experience. And there's the historical aspect. Nayshall has plenty of underground and mountain complexes. Suval'hal Arena is actually built inside the crater of an extinct volcano."
Sagat. Guile not only recognized the name, but met the man in question. Former bodyguard to the King of Ayothaya, pit fighter, and occasional Buddhist monk and trainer. Sagat was originally mortal before being attacked by a Weretiger in the 12th century. The attack resulted in the massive scar on his chest, as well as one missing eye, as well as transforming the mountain of a man into a Weretiger. He had mentored Ryu following his self-imposed exile from Japan, teaching him Muay Boran and setting him on the path of personal redemption and enlightenment.
Given that Ryu still has a bad habit of making out with one of his wives inside an empty conference room, Sagat did not succeed in purging Ryu of all of his hedonistic tendencies. However, compared to Mayor Travers and his two vampiric lovers, Ryu was a saint. Yet, Ryu respected the older man, and kept in touch with him. When Shadowlaw began to encroach on his doorstep, Ryu came to his aid.
Guile forgot that Ryu was an archaeologist in his spare time. When Ryu told Guile and his family about his side gig, Julia had joked that he was the Japanese version of Indiana Jones, to which Ryu had replied, "Just without the bullwhip and the cool fedora. But I did kill my fair share of Nazis, Ken and Guile included. The less said about that Thai death cult, the better."
"So how will the vampires go about their business in Nayshall?" Ken asked.
"By having a couple of human familiars posing as expatriates set up shop in the region," Ryu explained. "The Vampire Houses and Covens will help finance Nayshall's development as independent investors."
Ah, another mystery solved as the light went on in Ken's head. "That explains where the extra money's coming from. Any idea what they're planning on investing in?"
"The mountain hotsprings," Ryu replied. "Construction has already started on a couple of hotspring resorts built on the Japanese model. A wise investment."
Ken grinned wryly. "We Japanese do love our hotsprings."
"Of course you do," Guile said. "You and Ryu fund a couple of them."
"Admit it, Will," Ken said, "You enjoy them yourself."
"It's quaint. And therapeutic," the Lycan admitted. He nodded towards his wife. "Julia loves them. Anytime we're in Japan, she makes a beeline for the closest hotspring resort." Guile tilted his head. "You seem quite knowledgeable when it comes to Vampire politics, Ryu."
Ryu chuckled. "Look at who my wives are. You tend to pick things up here and there regarding both Vampire and Ninja politics. Vampire politics is pretty easy to follow. Ninja politics, on the other hand, is much trickier."
Guile could only sympathize with that statement. Mai had given him a crash course in Ninja politics, keeping things simple for him to understand. The majority of ninja clans were Vampires, tasked with keeping the country safe from any and all threats, mostly from the vampire hunters trying to sneak in, Genma and rogue elements. Vampires from other countries were free to visit Japan, provided they follow the rules and code of conduct.
But it wasn't that simple.
"Ninja politics usually center around marriages," Mai had explained to Guile and Julia one day. "Take my clan for example. Before I married Ryu, the Shiranui were a minor clan, a minor player when it comes to Ninja politics. Whenever a smaller clan marries into a much larger clan like the Mugen Tenshin or the Hayabusa, the smaller clan is absorbed into the much larger clan. Nothing remains of the minor clan, as all techniques of the minor clan are either incorporated or destroyed. But, as I had married Ryu, my clan retained its independence, and with the blessings of Ryu's father, we not only thrived, but we also grew in power and influence. The spy and information network can also count as a contributing factor to our success and our independence. Also, by marriage, Ryu and Chun-Li married into my clan, just as by marriage, Ryu and I married into House Xiang."
Not to say that Ryu himself had a close call with being strong-armed into a ninja clan. Before she became the mistress to the Ninja dhampyr Ryu Haysbusa, the lilac-haired kunoichi – and Lesser Vampire – Ayane had her eyes on the Japanese Immortal. She had tried to seduce Ryu in the past, Ryu had gently shot her down, knowing full well that if he screwed Ayane, then he would have been bound by honor to not only marry Ayane, but also join the Mugen Tenshin clan.
Thankfully, when it became known that Ryu had married Mai, Ayane backed down.
With the information and spy network, the Shiranui grew in power and influence over the centuries, thus becoming a powerhouse – and a wild card – in Japan's ninja community. The Shiranui prided itself on its independence, something that Guile himself could understand.
"The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives," Guile mused. "Should be child's play for someone of your caliber. No one would ever suspect you of running an information and spy network with your two wives. I sure as hell didn't."
"I see it as a challenge. Training one's mind is just as important as training one's body," Ryu sagely said. He then added, "In all honesty, you really didn't ask."
Guile smirked. "True. Still baffles me how you do it. Not just being married to two vampires, but also run the information network alongside them."
Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "I wonder that myself once in a while. In the end, I try not to think about it. Running the network, I mean. In regards to Mai and Chun, our marriage isn't perfect, but I love them both and they love me."
"When they're not trying to kill you via blood loss," Ken quipped.
"Don't remind me," Ryu said. "I knew the risks, of what I was getting myself into when I married Mai and Chun."
The downside of being married to not one, but two vampires as an Immortal was that they had a steady supply of blood close by. And Chun-Li and Mai were not the ones to share. Ken remembered one time walking in on Chun-Li and Mai feeding on Ryu, who was already dead from the blood loss. After both Chun-Li and Mai hissed at him for interrupting their meal, Ken wisely backed out of the room.
"Good thing for us Immortals that death is only temporary," Ken added. He then saw something that concerned him. "What's going on?"
Guile and Ryu looked at Ken's direction. Chun-Li had broken away from Mai and the other two women, and was walking with a purpose towards Urban Park, ignoring the calls from Mai and the others for her to stop.
"What's going on, indeed," Ryu said. The smirk on Guile's face did not help matters. "You know something, William."
Guile tapped his nose. "Chris Redfield is here. And if Chris is here..."
"Oh..." was all that Ken and Ryu said.
"This is about to get nuts," Ken said.
"Especially when Jill Valentine is involved," Ryu added, knowing full well of the rivalry between his Chinese wife and the Eurasian wife of Guile's former student. Not even his rivalry with Ken or Ryu Hayabusa was this intense.
One thing for sure, things were about to go from zero to a hundred once those two vampires crossed fists.
Minutes earlier, at the same time…
Chun-Li Xiang was known by many titles and honors. Head of the Imperial House of Xiang (or House Xiang, for short), the Dark Empress of the Ch'in (even she found that one to be too much), the Shadow Lady. Most importantly, she was the first Living Vampire of Chinese ancestry. She was desired by many, respected and even feared.
She grew up in a sheltered household, and aside from her ancestral home of Handan, she knew nothing of the outside world. Most vampires went mad from both the everlasting and hideous boredom, as well as the stagnation, unable to leave. For Chun-Li, that was her life for the first couple of centuries, confined only to Handan and the area surrounding it.
Her father, the viscount Dorai Bo Xiang, was the direct descendant of Qin Shi Huang and his favorite concubine. A Pureblood himself, Dorai wedded a vampire from a minor Malay family, also a Pureblood. Despite the loss of prestige, Chun-Li had been groomed for power, groomed to lead the other vampire Houses in a revival of the First Dynasty, with herself as the Empress.
But Chun-Li was no fool. She was well aware of the schemers, the sycophants and the more ambitious nobles sniffing around at her skirts. Some of them wanted to be the power behind the throne, with Chun-Li as their puppet. Others wanted the extermination of House Xiang.
And they almost succeeded.
Her father and mother were slain, ambushed by vampire hunters hired by some of the more ambitious minor Houses to eliminate Dorai. Chun-Li would find out centuries later that Bison had been part of the hunters hired to kill her parents. Back then, he had been nothing more than an ambitious mercenary, yet he took malicious delight in telling her about how he personally drove a silver stake in Dorai's chest.
Chun-Li returned the favor centuries later by ripping Bison's heart out of his chest, while Guile liberated Bison's head from his body.
Her husband, Koh Xi, was the next victim of the traitorous nobles. Koh was Chun-Li's betrothed, a Pureblood from a minor noble house, Koh had been her childhood friend, her first love. Koh had even taken her maidenhead months before their wedding.
For Chun-Li her first marriage lasted three months. Koh was murdered, once again, the more ambitious (and ruthless) Houses being the culprit.
Following Koh's death, Chun-Li closed herself off from everyone, opting to remain in seclusion.
Then, she met Rose.
The Italian-born vampire was a fortuneteller, having traversed the Silk Road along with her Egyptian apprentice, Menat. Rose had told her that she would not lead a revival of the Ch'in, as that was not her destiny.
No, her destiny was something not even Chun-Li saw coming. As Rose had told her, "Life is full of surprises. Let it surprise you."
As it turned out, becoming the wife of a Japanese Immortal, her husband being the son of Susanoo no Mikoto and his longtime mistress, an immortal Shinto Priestess, was something she did not see coming. And she was sharing him with a Japanese Pureblood, who was his second wife. The same Japanese Pureblood who looked at her with the same level of love and adoration that Ryu himself experienced.
Ironically enough, bringing Mai into the fold was her idea, due to her own attraction to the kunoichi. But it was Ryu's idea to take Mai on as his second wife.
It had been a second marriage for both her and Ryu. Their marriage had been one of duty. Chun-Li had willingly fed on Ryu's blood. Granted, that it was out of desperation, but she fed on his blood all the same. Per the tradition of House Xiang, the moment Chun-Li fed on Ryu's blood, she was bonded to him.
Her marriage to a Japanese had mixed reactions among her fellow vampires back in China. Some saw her as a traitor for marrying a Japanese, despite his father being Susanoo no Mikoto, while others saw Ryu as her consort, and Mai her concubine.
Like Guile, Chun-Li stood back and watched her husband in the first couple of months together. Her husband had been a hedonist, living only for pleasure. They bonded over their shared grief; Ryu having lost his first family and Chun-Li, hers. Another bond they shared was their love of music; Chun-Li having been trained to play the erhu – the Chinese fiddle – while Ryu preferred its Japanese counterpart, the kokyu.
Martial arts was another bond that he – and later, Mai – shared with Ryu. Then, Ryu asked her to teach him Wing Chun Kung Fu. "I want to understand my wife better. I want to know how she moves, how she thinks. I want to see what lies beyond her fists."
While Ryu was well-versed in Wing Chun, Chun-Li was leagues above him in skill. Mai also incorporated Tai Chi into her Shiranui-ryuu family style.
Ironically enough, Mai's preference of using fighting fans in combat was inspired by Chun-Li.
In return, Ryu taught Chun-Li Shotokan Karate. "To better understand me, you should understand how I fight. To see what is beyond my fists," Ryu had told her. He even gave her some pointers in Muay Boran as a bonus. Just as Chun-Li was his superior in Kung Fu, Ryu was hers when it came to Karate. Not wanting to be left out, as Chun-Li had taught Mai Tai Chi, Mai taught her co-wife the basics of Shiranui Ninjitsu.
To Chun-Li, Ryu grew to be more than that. He showed her an entire new world. He - and later, Mai - showed her how to live not for today, but for tomorrow.
They traveled the world many times over, meeting new friends and making plenty of rivals along the way. For the Shadow Lady, her life now was much more fulfilling than trying to revive a long dead dynasty. Sure, they had their problems and issues like any other couple, from jealous suitors, to stalkers and even the occasional vampire hunter, but Chun-Li trusted her spouses with her life.
That, and Ryu spoiled Chun-Li with his Immortal blood. It was so... intoxicating, so... powerful. That first time she had that sweet nectar, she was hooked. She (and Mai) could go on three days without feeding on someone else, as it sated her hunger.
It was something that Poison and Lucia can also attest to. Before Cody ascended to the role of Mayor, he would wind up dead nine times out of ten when Poison and Lucia jumped on him in a frenzy, draining him down to the bone. Cody would revive, even more annoyed than Ryu when Chun-Li and Mai did the same to him.
"Told you she wanted to poke around inside our heads," Mai said, following Julia's question.
Chun-Li said nothing, but merely smiled. She had her own suspicions about Julia, and her question had all but confirmed it.
Eliza, for her part, rolled her eyes.
Julia tried to look innocent, but the elder witch was failing miserably. "What? Can't help but to be a bit curious. We witches are curious by nature. Besides, it's not like I'm asking about your sex life. Just curious as to how Ryu went along with having two wives instead of just one."
"Something to inspire you for your next novel?" Chun-Li asked.
"I've heard bits and pieces from Will about how you and Mai agreed to share Ryu, but not the whole story," Julia admitted. "Humor me. Inquiring minds would like to know. I'll be sure to change the names around when I do."
Mai and Chun-Li looked at each other. "Think we should tell her?" the Japanese vampiress asked.
Chun-Li shrugged her shoulders. "Might as well. Ken and Will already know," she admitted. "I'm surprised that they kept most of it in for very long. Especially Ken. But, Guile was surprised to discover our relationship. It's not as complicated as most people think it to be."
"So…?" Julia prodded.
"Well… Mai came into the picture for me after I accompanied Ryu back to Japan," Chun-Li began. "I guess you can say that there was a strong sexual aura surrounding Mai to the point that I thought she was a succubus at first. I can see why her and Ryu used to screw each other."
"Aw… you say the sweetest things," Mai giggled, before pecking Chun-Li on the cheek.
"Anyway, I was traveling with Ryu when we came across Mai performing a traditional fan dance..."
"The shibu," Mai interjected.
"Yes, the shibu. Like I said, the attraction was strong not between Ryu and Mai, but also Mai and myself. Ryu extended to Mai the chance to travel together, and Mai accepted. We got to know each other a bit better as we traveled together..."
"...in between slaughtering a band of bandits that tried to rob us, kill Ryu and rape us," Mai once again interjected.
"That too," Chun-Li admitted. "Things came to a head when we stopped at this hotsprings resort for the night." A silly perverted grin crept on her face as she remembered the memory. "Mai jumped at the chance for a threesome when I suggested it."
Eliza's eyes widened. "You?"
Chun-Li nodded. "Yup. Me."
Mai then took over. "As you probably know, I can walk in the daylight without turning to ash, thanks to being under Amaterasu-sama's patronage. It was quite the night for all three of us. Even after spending a century as a monk, Ryu still knew his way around a woman."
"Come the dawn," Chun-Li continued. "I found Mai with Ryu and suffice to say, I was hooked on Mai. I asked Ryu if she could remain with us as a concubine. But, Ryu surprised me with his counteroffer – to make Mai his second wife."
"The Immortals are allowed as many mistresses or concubines as they can handle," Mai explained. "But the kami are big are marital fidelity, hence the maximum amount of spouses a Japanese Immortal can have at the same time is only two." She smiled. "I couldn't say yes fast enough. Of course, we had to wait until his and Chun's wedding anniversary rolled around, so that way Chun and I can share the same wedding day."
"It was a private affair," Chun-Li said, "with only Lord Susanoo, Lady Mithra, His masters Gouken and Gouki, Guy and Rena and Ken as witnesses."
Eliza and Julia remembered the more recent ceremony that had taken three years ago. Ryu and his wives had decided to renew their vows in a private ceremony in Hong Kong. Ryu looked dapper in his Western-style tuxedo, Chun-Li looked ever regal in a custom-made crimson cheongsam dress, and Mai was dressed to the nines in her ceremonial uchikake kimono, complete with tsunokakushi, the wedding headress.
Mai beamed as she remembered that day. "Sure, we have our arguments like any other couple, but I love both my husband and wife, and I trust them with my life. I may be an undead vampire, but being with them makes me feel alive."
Chun-Li smiled fondly at her co-wife. "I'm glad you feel that way."
Now, Eliza was curious. "What's it like, sharing one guy?"
"It has its challenges, sure. But more for Ryu than for us," Chun-Li admitted. "But we're just like any other couple. Then again, we're not entirely human."
"He does get rather annoyed whenever the bloodlust hits and either I or the both of us drain him dry." Mai giggled. "While Ryu doesn't have favorites between Chun and me, we do have a healthy competition for his affections."
"It's just the two of you?" Eliza asked. "Ryu doesn't have any mistresses? I mean, he was a hedonist, and those people are notorious sex fiends."
"I should know," Mai said. "I, myself also was a hedonist. To answer your question, Ryu doesn't have any mistresses. Chun-Li made sure of that. She made Ryu promise not to touch any other woman aside from the both of us. And Ryu not only agreed, but honored his word."
"That's one thing about Ryu I love," Chun-Li said. "He's honorable, sure. But he's also pragmatic. He once told me that being honorable is good and all, but it can be used by weak people to manipulate the strong into doing their bidding."
"And we've seen plenty of that over the centuries," Mai added.
"You said there's a healthy competition between the two of you," Julia said. "What do you mean by that?"
"Walking around the house naked," Mai replied. "Of course, given that Li-Fen is Chun's ward, we had to tone down on that quite a bit. Of course, whenever one is on our period, the other takes advantage. Then again, Ryu can be pretty devious."
"Devious? How devious can he be?" Julia asked.
"He's more than man enough to take us at the same time," Chun-Li explained. "But, he likes to do things one-on-one. Meaning he would make one of us sit and watch while he fucks the other. He likes to make the one watching squirm."
"But turnabout is fair play," Mai interjected. "We do the same to him. We put on a show for him while he watches."
"Wow. And here, I thought that Ryu was the prudish one," Eliza said. "When Ken told me that Ryu was a hedonist, I didn't believe him."
"Oh, believe it, Eliza," Mai said. "I should know, as I was also one. How else did Ryu and I met?"
"He sure did pull the wool over my eyes," Julia said. "The first time I met Ryu, he seem so… well..."
"Stoic?" Chun-Li and Mai said in unison.
"Wooden?" Mai.
"Bland?" Chun-Li.
Julia couldn't help but to sheepishly nod.
"We're not offended," Chun-Li said. "That was purely intentional. Despite being a compassionate individual, Ryu keeps his emotions guarded around most people. After what had happened to his first family, I don't blame him."
Julia knew about the murder of Ryu's first family as well. She had overheard him telling Guile about it once the true culprit behind Charlie Nash's murder was known, and what vengeance had done to him. Thankfully, she did not what she learned in her project at the time, a true crime novel.
"But underneath that mask, is an entirely different man," Mai said. "You trust him. He has that gentleness, that strength. Many times, I just lie on top of him, just listening to his heartbeat. In a way, we draw on him for our strength, and not just from his blood."
As Mai continued to chat with Julia and Eliza, that same feeling Chun-Li had felt earlier in the day soon returned. That feeling that she was being watched by someone other than her husband or Mai. She didn't bother to raise the alarm with Mai or Ryu because whoever was watching her wasn't a vampire hunter or a Darkhunter, as they would be radiating murderous intent.
Whoever it was, they were close.
As the group strolled down the street, opposite Urban Park, acting on her gut, Chun-Li turned in the direction of the park…
...and saw something out of place.
The massive, bronze statue of Mike Haggar loomed over Urban Park. Perched on the right shoulder of the statue was a single, solitary figure. Narrowing her eyes, Chun-Li's enhanced vision zeroed in on the mystery figure.
And Chun-Li knew that it wasn't something that was watching her, but rather someone.
Chun-Li smirked, as she had a pretty good clue as to who the person was. Shefreed herself from Mai and made her way across the street. Ignoring the calls of Mai and the others, the Shadow Lady prepared herself for a fight.
The last time Chun-Li and Jill Valentine crossed paths, it had been shortly after Umbrella's destruction. Now, it was time to see how far the little (living) vampire has come since their last encounter.
'Okay, Valentine,' Chun-Li thought as she smirked. 'You want a shot at the title? You got it.'
At first, Mai was alarmed when Chun-Li broke away from her and turned towards the park. Then, her enhanced hearing had caught the tail end of the conversation between Ryu, Guile and Ken, and she immediately relaxed.
"Hey, where's Auntie Li going?" Mel wondered.
"Jiejie? Hey, Jiejie!"
Mai rapidly closed the distance between herself and Li-Fen, and. placed a hand on the teenage dhampyr's shoulder, stopping Li-Fen in her tracks.
"It's okay, Li-Fen," Mai said. "Your big sis is answering a challenge."
Li-Fen visibly calmed down, mostly.
"Challenge?" Eliza parroted, as Ken, Ryu and Guile approached.
"Jill Valentine," Ken clarified.
Eliza understood immediately. "Oh."
Julia didn't like being kept in the dark. "'Oh?' What's 'Oh?'"
Guile gave his wife a brief rundown on Jill. "Jill Valentine. Daughter of Augustin de Valentin and Chiyome Mochizuki. Born a dhampyr, later sired as a Living Vampire, the first ever to be sired in the history of the Vampire Nations. Very dangerous."
"And Chun-Li is fighting her because why?" Julia asked.
"Jill is Chun-Li's rival," Ken clarified.
At that, Julia understood. "Oh."
Urban Park.
Chun-Li stood before the massive revitalization memorial dedicated to the former Mayor of Metro City. As it was past midnight, the park was mostly empty. From the look of things, Valentine had abandoned her position at the statue when Chun-Li entered the park.
'Probably trying to find a perfect place to launch a surprise attack,' the Shadow Lady mentally surmised. 'It's what I would've done. Clever girl." Her eyes darted over to a small grove of trees. Jill wasn't hiding there. She didn't smell like Lycan.
Rapid footsteps from behind her, too many to be one person. Ryu and the others have arrived. Smaller footsteps began to step forward. Li-Fen's footsteps.
A raised hand stopped Li-Fen in her tracks. Without turning around, Chun-Li ordered, "Stay back, Li-Fen. Do not interfere." She took several steps forward and looked around. Jill was nowhere in sight, but she was close. Very close, as if she was biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Then again, Chun-Li did the same, be it hunting her prey or stalking Ryu.
Meanwhile, Guile picked up on Chris' scent. It didn't take long for the Lycan to zero in on Chris' location. "You're not one for the dramatic approach, Redfield," Guile barked out, his tone authorative. "Front and center, Captain."
Chris Redfield emerged from behind the tree. As usual, his attire was all black – turtleneck sweater, jacket, slacks and boots. A small golden pendant was around his neck (i.e., his casual attire from RE6). "Can't put nothing by you, can I, Colonel?" he asked.
"Of course not," Guile replied. "For the record, I haven't been your CO since Desert Storm."
Chris faintly smiled. "No reason not to treat you with respect, sir." He then addressed the others accompanying Guile as he walked over to the group. "Ladies. Ryu. Ken."
Ken gave Chris a lazy wave. "'Sup."
Ryu nodded. "Captain Redfield."
"Heard about how you and Jill finally took Wesker down. Good work," Guile complimented. "The bastard had it coming."
"You're preaching to the choir in regards to that," Chris replied.
Back to Chun-Li…
The Shadow Lady began to clap her hands, mimicking a human's heartbeat. "Growing up in Handan, Baba once told me that when you approach someone, you can tell the character of a person by their heartbeat." She began to increase her clapping, imitating the heart if a human was experiencing fear or dread. "I know some vampires who can almost dance to the beating of their heart." She slowed down the clapping, mimicking a normal heartbeat. "But your heartbeat, Valentine… yours is different. Yours is slow and steady. Like a warrior. I can tell you this much though… I'm a lot more dangerous than Albert Wesker."
Chun-Li then smirked, as she felt Jill make her move. 'Behind me.' The Shadow Lady leapt into the air, flipping up-and-over…
… just as Jill Valentine sailed past where Chun-Li had just been standing moments earlier.
It reminded both Ryu and Mai of an incident earlier in the week involving Li-Fen and Chun-Li. Whilst training in Chinatown, Li-Fen had the bright idea of trying to sneak attack Chun-Li, only for it to backfire in hilarious fashion. The young dhampyr attacked Chun-Li, who had her hands clasped behind her back, skillfully dodging Li-Fen's attacks.
Then, Li-Fen tried to dropkick Chun-Li in the same manner as Jill had done, and Chun-Li responded in the same manner by somersaulting over Li-Fen, causing her to crash and burn into Ryu after lightly tapping her on the back of her head mid-somersault with her shoe.
But Jill Valentine was more skilled than Li-Fen. Shifting herself mid-flight, Jill landed in a Black Widow-style crouch, her sneak attack having failed. Chun-Li noted that Jill had abandoned her normal attire for leather and mesh, something that Mai would probably wear (her Resistance costume).
Chun-Li cracked her knuckles. "Jill Valentine."
Jill stood up. "Chun-Li Xiang."
Jill reached behind her back, and pulled out her Samurai Edge. Without breaking eye contact, she tossed it away, at Chris. Without missing a beat, Chris caught the firearm out of the air and secured it behind his back.
Chun-Li went into her stance. It was a basic Kenpo stance, but Jill wasn't deceived. Chun-Li knew several styles of Kung Fu aside from Kenpo and Chinese Ansatsuken, which made her incredibly dangerous to her enemies. Jill went into her own stance (i.e., her MvC3 stance). She was an expert in the Mochizuki style of ninjitsu as well as several other styles her father had trained her in, including the Valentine style of Savate. Chun-Li knew that while Jill didn't know as many styles as she did, that didn't make her any less dangerous.
Either way, this was going to be fun.
"Ryu." Chun-Li didn't even break eye contact. "Call it."
Ryu sighed. Leave it to Chun to drag him into this little brawl, albeit as a bystander. "Ready?" Ryu's voice was calm, before turning authorative, as if he was instructing his students in the dojo. "HAJIME!"